


Belonging

by SoDoRoses (FairyChess)



Series: LAOFT Extras [120]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Intrusive Thoughts, Logan: listen. listen. hes baby, Self-Worth Issues, Suicidal Ideation, past abusive dukeceit, these tags make it sound so angsty i promise its cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:01:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26771086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyChess/pseuds/SoDoRoses
Summary: “Home isn't where you're from, it's where you find light when all grows dark.”-Pierce Brown
Relationships: Background LAMP, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Linda Sanders (OFC), Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Logic | Logan Sanders
Series: LAOFT Extras [120]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1365505
Comments: 48
Kudos: 387





	Belonging

**Author's Note:**

> takes place just a few days after the Epilogue of Reflections and so about 11 years after the main storyline
> 
> thank you to @airiervessel for beta reading these cute cute beans

Remus wasn’t actually an idiot.

Obviously, he wasn’t going to put even the slightest amount of effort into changing everyone’s mind on the subject – where would be the fun in that? You could get away with _so_ much more fun stuff when everyone assumed you were too dim to come up with it.

So yeah – not stupid. Remus was well aware he’d lived through his little stint of dramatics by the barest sliver of Roman’s guilt-induced goodwill. He wasn’t exactly in a position to turn it down – not when he’d so thoroughly pissed off the Spider Prince _and_ Snowmelt, who Remus knew very well were about five seconds away from murdering him at any given moment.

_Piss them off enough and you could make zero._

“Not doing that today,” Remus said cheerfully, out loud.

And he _wasn’t_.

If Remus _did_ eventually do that, he was going to do his very best to make sure he _didn’t_ do it in front of Bobby.

When Snowmelt had asked Remus to watch her for an afternoon, Remus had been… very, _very_ confused. He couldn’t say _no_ , obviously, when Snowmelt was the unchallenged head of the Seelie Court - it wasn’t like it was actually a _request._

But he also had no idea what Snowmelt was thinking, trusting his spawn with another Green Man even for that long – was it some kind of test? Bait? An excuse to have Remus creatively murdered with iron if Remus upset her?

Which he wouldn’t. Probably. Maybe. On purpose, anyway – Bobby was a weird little Unseelie. Sometimes she cried about the strangest things, and Remus hadn’t quite figured out how to predict it.

Fortunately, he had incentive – he really, _really_ hated Bobby crying, for any reason, and especially if he’d caused it. And not just because it made him feel like tree roots were growing through his brain.

Snowmelt poked his head out the door as Remus stepped past the trees, his eyes narrowed in suspicion but relaxing when he saw Remus.

Weird. But- Snowmelt was expecting him. That must be why.

“Kitty, dear,” Snowmelt called over his shoulder. “Remus is here, can you get your shoes on?”

The kid’s voice came from inside, indistinct, and Snowmelt stepped out onto the back porch and shut the door behind him.

“I appreciate the assistance,” said Snowmelt, “It is next to impossible to plan Brian’s birthday celebrations while she is in earshot, which rather includes the entire house. She has… enthusiastic opinions.”

“… Right,” said Remus, frantically turning the sentence over in his head for the catch. _Appreciated?_ Did humans invent another definition of the word while Remus was gone?

Bobby barreled out the door, wearing little pink shoes and frilly socks, blue shorts and a very oversized t-shirt. She launched herself down the porch steps at Remus, and he caught her with a little swing, resisting the urge to rub his face all over her curls.

He was _sure_ Snowmelt wouldn’t let him get away with _that._

“Dinner is at-”

“Six o’clock!” said Bobby cheerfully. Snowmelt huffed, smiling fondly.

“Yes,” he said, “Be back by then.”

“Duh,” said Linda, rolling her eyes.

“Kitty,” said Snowmelt warningly. Remus tried not to hide her behind him automatically.

“Sorry, Papa,” said Bobby sheepishly, “That was sassy.”

“Yes, it was,” he replied, “Thank you for apologizing. Be good for Remus, alright?”

“Yeah, of course!”

Snowmelt walked forward, down one step to lean over and scent mark Bobby’s hair. Remus held her toward him dutifully. Of course, Snowmelt wanted to make it fresh when she was walking off into the woods with another Green Man – probably a threat, a reminder to Remus.

Snowmelt sighed contentedly, pulling his face out of her hair and turning to Remus, who tried to pay attention to whatever extra orders he was about to get.

Which did not happen.

Because Snowmelt leaned over and brushed his cheek across Remus’s own hair.

Remus froze.

Snowmelt had braced his hand on Remus’s shoulder as well, squeezing a little. Remus felt like all his internal organs had decided they needed to live in his throat all at once.

Snowmelt ran his face across Remus’s head in the exact same motion he’d given Bobby, ending on a little press of their temples. He moved away, and a lump formed in Remus’s throat at the loss of him, but Snowmelt just kissed Bobby on top of the head and turned away.

“Have fun, you two,” he said fondly.

He walked in the back door, and Remus stared after him.

“… Mr. Remus?”

Remus startled, staring down at Bobby in his arms. She tilted her head curiously, blinking at him with her little dandelion eyes.

“Are y’okay?” she pressed.

Remus didn’t answer - because he didn’t _know_ the answer - hitching her up on his hip and walking into the trees.

He wasn’t actually taking her far – they were still in Snowmelt’s immediate territory, just far enough into the trees for the witch-house to go out of sight and for the little spawn to feel like she was on a proper adventure.

_A proper adventure, maybe even a quest, wonder how she’d fare wandering the mortal world and strange courts for ten years-_

“Mr. Remus, you’re bein’ real quiet and Pop says that means you’re _plotting,_ can I plot too?”

“Sure,” said Remus, shaking his head a little to dispel the thought, “How about you explain to me what a ‘birthday party’ is, sounds obnoxiously gauche.”

“It’s not! They’re super fun, I’ve only had one so far but it’s a day all about the birthday person and they get presents and sweets,”

“Maybe for you,” said Remus, tweaking her ear, “With a birthday so early. Not all of us are tiny overpowered Gentry, kid.”

“Yeah, I already know they’re a mortal thing,” she said, “You don’t _gotta_ tell me your birthday but my dads would probably throw you a _super_ big party if they knew when it was and they wouldn’t do it around any fae ‘sides me n’ Papa n’ Vati,”

The denial was on the tip of his tongue, that Bobby was wrong, that there was no way they’d go to that kind of trouble for _Remus_ who ranked at “don’t actively want to murder” and not a step higher – but the words died in his throat.

Because what had just happened – what Snowmelt had just done – it made no sense. It had only one explanation, and said explanation was so insane Remus was wondering if he hadn’t eaten willowroot mushrooms again after mistaking them for something else.

Remus turned it over in his mind, hands trembling on her little ribs. Snowmelt’s scent, spring rain and a bouquet of floral notes, was perfumed throughout all her hair, most of her clothes. He hugged her often, kissed her small face and held her against him for long stretches. Any nymph who came anywhere near her would know she had a Green Man for a father, that she belonged to a family.

Remus smelled like damp moss and good, growing dirt. A little boring – corpse flowers would have been hilarious. He’d smelled like that and nothing else for… years and years.

Except now, with the faint perfume of Snowmelt’s little brush against his hair. Bobby’s was so prevalent it would take days to wear off, but the little bit on Remus would be gone in a few hours at most.

But. But- for the next few hours, any nymph who came through here would come across Remus and Bobby, and smell _two_ people who were Snowmelt’s.

You didn’t scent mark just anybody. It wasn’t like a handshake. No one had tried for Remus since the day he’d been abruptly sent away from home for being tooterritorial, too _aggressive, too much,_ but what was he supposed to do when people were _touching_ his _family-_

And he’d tried once, to brush his scent across Dee’s neck. Exactly once.

“Hey!” came a small, panicked voice.

Remus started, looking down at Bobby, who was staring up at him in concern.

“You don’t _gotta_ have a birthday party Mr. Remus, I was just askin,” she said, a stricken look on her face, “I didn’ mean to make you cry,”

Remus laughed wetly.

“Oh, don’t worry, Bobby, I’m crying for much dumber reasons than birthday parties.”

Bobby wrinkled her nose.

“Like what?”

“Like that I think your Papa _actually_ doesn’t wanna turn me into mulch.”

Bobby looked aghast.

“Of course not!” she said, perching her fists on her hips with a little scowl, “You’re his Green Man buddy!”

Remus laughed again, and Bobby’s hair puffed a little in indignation.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah!” she said, nodding firmly, “And Seelie buddies. Me n’ Vati outnumber him.”

“Well, do you really?” said Remus, “You’re so short. Half the size of a regular fae. Spindly’s so skinny. I don’t know if you’d make one Snowmelt between you, even if we really got creative with the carving.”

“Ewwwww,” said Bobby, shoving him lightly. He fell back dramatically, clutching his shoulder like she’d stabbed him and groaning like the dead.

She flopped on top of him with a quiet _oof_ , propping her face up on her hands, her knobby elbows digging into his chest.

“So if you weren’t cryin’ about the birthday party, do you want one?” she pressed. “Papa and Vati love giving presents, you would get a lot of cool stuff.”

She seemed so _sure._ Snowmelt he was still reeling from, but the Prince? Whose _geas_ was even now a nearly silent insect buzz in the back of Remus’s brain?

But nearly silent. What vengeance could even tempt him, here, really? He’d cut out his tongue, swallow it whole and choke to death on it before he hurt Bobby on purpose.

“Maybe,” he settled on.

“Nice!” said Bobby, pumping her fist, “I can definitely talk you into yes from maybe.”

Remus laughed again, a bass line under Bobby’s little-girl giggles, and he couldn’t help it – he leaned his head down and pulled her closer, smushing his cheek into her hair.

Bobby was scrambling immediately, squealing with joy.

“Oh, oh, oh, me too!” she said climbing off him, “C’mere I’ll show you the bobcat way!”

Remus sat up, and Bobby reached up to cup his jaw with her child fingers and stretched her face up to brush her opposite cheek against his, and then again on the other side.

“Okay, you again now!” she said, practically vibrating. Remus hugged her fiercely, nuzzling her hair, trying to contain the overwhelmed feeling in his chest.

Bobby was wiggling in his grip, but not trying to get away – just overcome with stims.

So Remus added his own rocking to the mix, relishing the notes of her laughter, the fruity smell of her hair, and the feeling that maybe, finally, there were things he got to keep.

~

Remus and Linda returned at exactly five forty-five — just in time for dinner. Logan wasn’t surprised - Remus was rather unpredictable in regards to lateness, but he had Linda with him, who preferred punctuality in all things. Remus could rarely say no to her, even more so than Logan himself, who did have to admit he was not as good at it as he ought to be.

“Think fast,” said Remus, before bodily throwing Logan’s daughter across the lawn.

Logan rushed forward and caught her shrieking, giggling body with an exasperated sigh, frowning at Remus – who, rather than grin at his prank, was watching Logan very… assessingly.

Odd.

Logan hitched her up higher, crossing over to Remus.

“Your assistance is appreciated,” said Logan, “I hope you two had fun.”

“Oh, yeah,” said Remus, waving his hand idly, “The little spawn loved explaining birthday parties.”

Logan sighed, exasperated.

“I know fae find them ostentatious,” said Logan, “But it is an important human cultural touchstone. I hope you did not find the topic upsetting.”

“Nope,” said Remus with a little pop, shoving his hands in his pockets and kicking one leg around. Logan felt his heart do a variety of endeared little motions.

“We’re gonna throw one for Mr. Remus on his next birthday!” said Linda enthusiastically. Logan sighed again.

“Did you _ask_ him if he-”

He froze.

He turned to look directly at Linda. He lifted her higher, brushing his face across her hair.

There. Wet moss and freshly turned garden soil, right there with her own crisp-apples and Logan’s petrichor and spring flowers.

When Logan turned back to Remus, he was angled away, pupils narrowed to tiny points, looking for all the world like he was about to _bolt_ for some reason Logan couldn’t fathom, because Logan’s heart felt like it was suddenly too large for his chest.

He hadn’t thought about it – he hadn’t _realized_ he’d done it until the children were already gone, and then he’d only hoped he hadn’t offended him, since Logan knew he was rather… overly affectionate by Green Man standards.

But Remus had taken the invitation Logan hadn’t meant to extend but had still _meant_ , and yet still here was a young Green Man looking absolutely _petrified_ of rejection on Logan’s back porch.

Logan opened his other arm.

Remus launched at him – they were of a height, but Remus curled low and shoved his face inelegantly into Logan’s chest, brushing his face there and trembling.

There was no avoiding it now – Remus was Logan’s. Logan really should have known better – he rarely did any manner of relationship by halves.

“Come inside,” he said, “Patton is testing cake recipes.”

Tempting Remus with cake was, perhaps, just a touch underhanded, but anything that got him inside was fair as far as Logan was concerned. If Remus walked off right now and came back with the smell of petrichor washed off his hair, it might break Logan’s heart.

“Roman, dear,” he called in as he led both children inside. “Remus is staying for dinner.”

Roman gaped a little for a moment, but he recovered quickly, breaking into a wide smile. Roman had been trying to coax Remus into spending more time with them for months, even before Remus had overwintered. He cast Logan a curious, raised eyebrow and Logan mouthed “Later.”

“Sounds marvelous!” said Roman. “We have plenty of salad, and I can make your chicken at your preferred doneness of ‘raw’ quite easily,”

“I- appreciate it,” said Remus haltingly, like the words were unfamiliar on his tongue.

Roman fairly _beamed,_ killing the heat on the stove abruptly to come over and wrap Remus in a bone-creaking hug.

Remus hesitated for only a moment, before clinging to Roman so hard Logan was almost worried, brushing his face on Roman’s chest.

Roman looked overcome with emotion, and so did Patton, who had just entered the kitchen doorway, his eyes shining as he watched them. Logan set Linda down on her feet.

“Why don’t you go tell Mamaw and Vati we have a-”

He cut off. He’d intended to say guest.

He glanced over at his husband, who was holding Remus so tightly it was like he was trying to fuse them into one being.

No- Remus was not a guest. Not anymore.

“-That Remus is staying for dinner,” he corrected.

“Okay!” she said, bouncing up on her toes to brush her cheek against his while he crouched, before darting from the room.

Patton crossed the room to Logan, wrapping his arms around Logan’s waist and grinning up at him.

“Whatever you did,” he murmured. “I’m very glad.”

“It was an accident.”

“Happy accident,” said Patton quietly. “He needs hugs.”

Remus’s shoulders shook, but when Roman muttered something into his ear he laughed, muffled and wet against the fabric of Roman’s shirt.

“Well,” said Logan, “I do believe we can arrange that indefinitely.”

**Author's Note:**

> you can also find me over on [tumblr](tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors.tumblr.com) or in the laoft server on [discord!](https://discord.gg/cEHExpB)


End file.
